Gas lighting and heating apparatus.



No. 726,925. PATENTBD MAY 5, 1903. K

G. W. HINMAN. GAS LIGHTING AND HEATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17, 1902. RENE ED FEB. 16. 1903.

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PATENTED MAY'5, 1903.

G. W. HINMAN. Y

GAS LIGHTING AND HEATING APPARATUS.

APR. 17, 1902. RENEWED FEB. 16. 1903.

APPLIO ATION FILED no MODEL: 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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NlTED STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

-ATENT OFFICE.

G'AS LIGHTING AND HEATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,925, dated May 5, 1903.

Application filed April 17, 1902. Renewed February 16, 1903. Serial No. 143,638. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHA LE W. HINMAN, of Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an, Improve: mentin Gas Lighting and Heating Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

In another application, Serial No. 103,018, filed by me April 15, 1902, a gas lighting and heating apparatus is shown comprising, essentially, a holder for holding a variable volume of mixed air and gas under constant pressure, a delivery-pipe leading from it to the burner, a pump connected with said holder for delivering measured volumes of air and gas thereto, air and gas inlets to said pump, means controlledby the volume of mixed air and gas in said holder for regulating the delivery of air and gas thereto, and a motor for operating said pump.

In another application, Serial No. 103,125, filed by me April 16, 1902, a gas lighting and heating apparatusis shown comprising, essentially, a holder for holding a variable volume of gas under constant pressure, a delivery-pipeleading from it to the burner, a pump connected with said holder for delivering gas to said holder, means controlled by the volume of gasin said holder forregulating the delivery of gas from the pump to said holder, and a motor for operating Said pump.

In another application, Serial No. 96,230, filed by me Marchl, 1902, a gas lighting and heating apparatus is shown comprising, essentially, a holder for holding a variable volume of mixed air and gas under constant pressure, a delivery-pipe leading from it to the burner, a pump connected with said holder for simultaneously delivering measured volumes of air and gas thereto in relative proportions insufficient to effect complete combustion, air and gas inlets to said pump,

means controlled by the volume of mixedair and gas in said holder for regulating the delivery of air and gas thereto, and a motor for operating said pump.

This invention has for its object to improve the construction of the holder in several particulars and also to provide means for maintion of one of the liquid-sealed check-Valves which I prefer to employ. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the valve of the hydraulic motor which operates to lift the bell of the pump, and Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the hollow shell or case to which the air-pipe and gaspipe leading from the pump are connected and also to which a common delivery-pipe is connected which projects up into the holder.

The drawings herein shown are substantially the same as the drawings shown in my application Serial No. 96,230, yet they are herein shown for the sake of illustrating my present invention, and it will be understood that so far as some of the features of my present in vention are concerned it is immaterial whether the apparatus be constructed as herein shownas, for instance, itis immaterial whethcr air and gas are delivered to the holder or whether gas only is delivered'to the holder, so far as the particular construction of the holder is concernedand so far as the means employed for maintaining the level of the water in thetanks of the pump and of the holder are concerned the particular construction ofsaid pumpand also of said holder is immaterial, and so far as the means employed for connecting the gas-supply pipe to the pump with thedelivery-pipeleading from the holder is concerned the particular construction of the pump and alsoof the holder is immaterial.

01. represents the burner of the ordinary Welsbach type,it beingopenatthebase for the inlet of the air and bearing a refractory mantle o, and 0. represents another burner of the ordinary Bunsen type, which may be employed for heating purposes. I) is a gas-pipe leading to said burner, which conducts the mixed air and gas from the holder to said burners. The holder, which is in many respects novel, will now be described, it being constructed and arranged to serve not only as a holder, but also as a mixer and a governor. c is a tank or receiver of any suitable shape and size, adapted to contain a quantity of water or other sealing liquid, and c is a bell of a corresponding shape, adapted to work up and down in said tank or reservoir 0.

The tank 0 contains within it a tube a or tubular cylinder, which is preferably centrally disposed therein and which rests upon the bottom of the tank and is suitably supported to occupy an upright position in the tank, said tube 0 forming a central chamber, which is open at the top and closed at the bottom. The tube 0 projects from the base of the tank up to a point above the level of the water. A pipe 0 of any suitable length and diameter is contained within the tube 0 which passes up through the bottom of the tank 0, and said pipe is preferably made long enough to project above the level of the water in the tank, although this is not material except in case of accidental leakage of the tube 0 The pipe 0 is closed at its upper end by a cap or plug 0', and at or near its upper end portion above the level of the water in the tank a plurality of exitorifices c are provided, which are arranged in different planes or at different distances from the end of the pipe. The exit-orifices 0 may be of any suitable shape, as circular or oblong; yet I prefer to make the uppermost one substantially triangular in shape, with the apex of the triangle at the top, as shown in Fig. 2. The pipe 0 passing down through the bottom of the tank, is connected at its lower end to a hollow shell or case (I, located beneath said tank, and said pipe 0 is employed to conduct air and gas from said hollow shell or case cl to the bell of the holder. A centrallydisposed tube 6 is attached to the interior of the crown of the bell c, which projects downward and is made long enough and small enough in diameter to project a short distance into the tube 0 The diameter of the tube 6 islessthan the internal diameter of the tube 0 yet moves telescopically within it as the bell rises and falls. The tube e has a plurality of exit-orifices c at its upper end, by which open communication between the bell and the interior of the tube 6 is established. The tube 6 has at its lower end two like disks or plates 6 e fitted into it and rigidly connected with it, each having a central hole through it adapting them to engage and slide along on the pipe 0 as a guide. The disks or plates 6 e are located a short distance apart to form between them a closed chamber, and they are disposed relatively to the pipe a so that the uppermost disk or plate 6 works up and down on the pipe 0 over the exit-orifices 0 while the lowermost disk or plate always occupies the position below the lowermost exit-orifice. \Vhen the bell is in its most elevated position, the disk or plate e will occupy a position above all the orifices c or will be raised sufficiently to close the uppermost orifice, and as all the other orifices will be located beneath it and between it and the disk or plate c it will be seen that all the orifices will be eifectively closed. As the bell falls the uppermost orifice c is first opened and then the others. The gas issuing from the uppermost orifice c or any of the orifices enters the tube 6 and passes through the orifices 6 into the bell. The bell is made quite large to hold considerable mixed air and gas and is normally held in its most elevated position, and therefore serves as a holder. The bell settles a'little as the gas is taken from the pipe I); but as the volume of gas taken from said pipe I) is immediately compensated for by an inflow to the mixer or holder from a pump, to be described, the bell will only settle a itltle and will come to a position of rest as soon as the inflow of gas equals the outflow, and then as soon as the inflow exceeds the outflow the bell will be lifted or restored to its normal elevated position. Therefore in practice, barring accidents, the bell will have but a limited movement. The inflow of gas to the bell is regulated by the exit-orifices 0 which are opened more or less, according to the position of the bell. If but a small volume of gas is being taken from the pipe I), the bell will settle but a little, thereby opening more or less of the uppermost orifice 0 but if a large volume of gas is being taken from the pipe I) the bell will settle further and open a number of the exit-orifices; yet as soon as the outflow ceases the bell immediately rises and shuts off the inflow. Therefore the pipe 0 having the exit-orifices, and the devices cooperating therewith for controlling the inflow of gas together serve as a controlling device or constitute a valve by which the delivery of air and gas from the pump is regulated. This holder holds a variable volume of gas under constant pressure.

1 represents an air-pipe, and g a gas-pipe, leading to the hollow shell or case (I, (see Figs. 1 to 6,) which respectively conduct air and gas thereto in predetermined relative proportions, so that by pipe 0 the air and gas, more or less mixed, will be delivered to the holder through the orifices e and thereafter more thoroughly and uniformly mixes in said holder. Within the hollow shell or case (1 two check-valves are provided, (see Fig. 6,) one of which controls the delivery of air from the pipef and the other controls the delivery of gas from the pipe g. These check-valves are made alike, or substantially so, and are herein illustrated in Fig. 4.

It represents a tubular shell which is made as a coupling or pipe-fitting, having an externally-screw-threaded portion 72. at one end and an externally-sorew-threaded portion 7&2 at the opposite end. One end of the tubular shell 72. is formed or provided with a circular groove or recess h made concentric with the shell inside of the screw-threaded portion 72. which is made quite deep and adapted to con tain a liquid sealing material. The screwthreads b are thus formed in the outside of the outer wall of said groove or recess, and the inside wall 714 thereof preferably rises above the outside wall a short distance. A valve-plate, made as an inverted cup 71 is employed, which is of suitable diameter to rest by gravity upon the wall h its side wall projecting down into the groove or recess h and into the mercury contained insaid groove or recess. When the valve-plate is in this position, as shown in Fig. 4., the valve is closed. By lifting the cup-like valve-plate sufficiently for its side wall to rise above the sealing liquid contained in the groove or recess 77, the valve will be opened for the passage of the air or gas. The inverted cuplike valve-plate has a central stem it, projecting downward through the tubular shell, which passes through suitable guides h h contained in said tubular shell, which may be as spiders secured to said tubular shell. This form or construction of check-valve is important, for the reason that the valve-plate is not liable to stick by reason of the accumulation of any tar products-a serious trouble ordinarily encountered in gas-machines.

The sealing liquid employed for the valve is of a high specific gravity, and in practice I preferably employ a liquid-sealed valve, for the reason that the same is gas-tight, and I employ a sealing liquid of a high specific gravity, for the reason that a valve of very small dimensions may be employed. In pracrice the sealing liquid must overcome or resist the back pressure of, say, six to eight inches of water, and if a sealingliquid of light specific gravity-as water, for instanceshould be smployed a verylong valve would be required, necessitating a valve-plate having a very long stroke.

The pump herein shown is adapted to simultaneously deliver air and gas in predetermined quantities to the holder by the conducting-pipesfand g; yet, as above stated,

any other suitable form or construction of' pump may be employed, so far as my present invention is concerned.

2' represents a tank adapted to contain water or other liquid, and t" a bell working up and down therein. The bell v) is provided with a partition-wall 4?, which divides it into two compartments or chambers. A pipe f is connected with the pipe f, which projects up through the bottom of the tank 2' to a point above the level of the water, and at the junction of said pipesff a T-couplingf is provided, containing or having connected with it at its lower end a check-valve f opening to the atmosphere. When the bell is lifted, the check-valve will be opened and a supply of air will be drawn into the air-compartment of the bell, and when the bell falls said checkvalve will be closed and the air will be conducted by the pipe fto the hollow shelld of the holder. A pipe g" is similarly connected to the pipe g, which projects up through the bot tom of the tank '5 to a point above the level of the water, and at the junction of said pipes g g a T-coupling g is provided, containing or having connected to it at its lower end a check-valve 9 to which a pipe 9 is connected, which is connected with any suitable gas-supply pipe. When the bell t" is lifted by a suitable motor, to be described, the check-valve 9 will be opened and a supply of gas will be drawn into the gas-compartment of the bell, and when said bell falls said check-valve 9 will be closed and the gas will be conducted by the pipe-g to the hollow shell d of the holder. The delivery of the air and gas to the holder is simultaneous.

The check-valve f and will be constructed as mercury checkvalves, as shown in Fig. 4. The hell 2' is,

designed to be lifted automatically, and, as herein shown, a hydraulic motor is provided, which may be of any ordinary construction.

Contained within the tanko' is a cylinderj, of small diameter, which is connected at the bottom to the base of the tank, and'said cylinder has at its upper end a stuffing-box in which a piston-rod j works, having a piston j at'its lower end working in the cylinder, the upper end of said piston-rod being attached to the crown of the bell t". The cylinderj has connected to its lower end a pipeji, which is connected to the outlet-port of the valvecase 7' (See Figs. 1 to 5.) The valve-case 3' is provided with an outlet-portj, to which said pipe 9' is connected, an inlet-port, and

a waste-port j and contains two pistons fj attached to a rod j, Working in a stuffingbox 7' at the upper end of the cylinder. The pistons j" 3' are disposed on the rod in such relative position as to occupy different positions with relation to the ports when the rod bearing them is moved-as, for instance, in one position, as shown by full lines, Fig. 5, the

outlet and inlet ports open into a chamber or a space between said pistons, and when in such position the water passes from the inlet-port through the outlet-port and into the cylinder jand acts to lift the bell j, and when said pistons occupythe dotted-line position shown .in Fig. 6 the inlet-port is disconnected-from the outlet-port and the outlet-port connected with the waste-port. The piston-rod f? is loosely connected at its upper end to a rock- IIO ing bar is, pivoted at kto a suitable support,

and said bar is acted upon by ordinary tumbler devices, which are connectedbya chain or cord m with a rod m, which is attached to the bell.

The tumbler devices for operating a rocking' bar It consist of a weighted arm k loosely pivoted at 70 independent of the rocking bar, which is adapted to be thrown in opposite ways to engage and operate said bar'lrh- The weighted arm is? has a lateral projection 70 which is engaged by a'pivoted counterbalanced arm-7o, also loosely pivoted at 76 independent of the other parts. One end of the arm it is connected by the chain or cord m with the rod m. As the bell rises one end of the arm 764 is lifted, and said arm by engaging the projection k on the Weighted arm lifts said weighted arm into perpendicular position and throws it a little farther, and as soon as said weighted arm passes its perpendicular position it falls by gravity to the right, Fig. 2, and its Weighted end striking one of the extremities of the rocking bar rocks said bar on its pivot, and thereby raises the pistons j j until said rocking bar strikes the stop 5. Then as the bell falls the pivoted arm 70 will be moved on its pivot in the opposite way and, engaging the projection on the weighted arm, will lift said arm into its perpendicular position and throw it a little farther, and then as said weighted arm falls to the left its weighted end will strike the other extremity of the rocking bar 76 and rock said bar on its pivot until said bar strikes the stop 6, and during this movement of said rocking bar the pistons j j will be moved in the opposite way. The waste-port of the valve has connected to it a pipe m which extends upward to a pipe m, which is located at a height that it is desired to maintain the level of the water in the tanks i and c, and from said waste-pipe m two branch pipes 122 m lead in opposite ways, one to the tank 2' and the other to the tank 0. As the Water passes along the waste-pipes m and m it will flow through said pipes m m if the level of the water in said tanks is below the pipe 777.

In case of accident I have provided means whereby the machine is shunted and the gas taken directly from the gas-supply pipe 9 and delivered to the gas-pipe Z); but this feature and also the above-described feature of the means for maintaining a predetermined level of the water or other sealing liquid in the pump form the subject-matter of anotherapplication, Serial No. 110,764, filed by me June 9, 1902.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for mixing air and gas, a holder comprising a tank containing water or other sealing liquid, a bell working up and down therein, a hollow shell having two inlet-openings and one outlet-opening, two inlet-pipes and one outlet-pipe connected to said shell at said openings, said outlet-pipe projecting up into said tank and having at its extremity a plurality of exit-orifices, means connected with and operated by the bell for opening one or more of said orifices according to the position of the bell, and a deliverypipe leading from said holder, substantially as described.

2. A holder comprising a tank containing water or other sealing liquid, a bell working up and down therein, a delivery-pipe to said holder, located therein and having at its extremity a plurality of exit-orifices, a plate sliding on said pipe which opens one or more of said orifices more or less, means connecting said plate with said bell, and a deliverypipe leading from said holder, substantially as described.

3. A holder comprising a tank containing water or other sealing liquid, a bell working up and down therein, a tube contained in said tank which projects above the normal water-level, a delivery-pipe to said holder located in said tube having at its extremity a plurality of exit-orifices, a plate sliding on said pipe which opens one or more of said orifices more or less, means connecting said plate with said bell, anda delivery-pipe leading from said holder, substantially as described.

4. A holder comprising a tank containing water or other sealing liquid, a bell working up and down therein, a delivery-pipe to said holder contained in said tank having at its extremity a plurality of exit-orifices, a tube attached to the bell which projects down over the upper end portion of said delivery-pipe having two plates at its lower end, separated a short distance, both of which engage and slide along on said delivery-pipe, an opening in said tube to the bell and a delivery-pipe leading from said holder, substantially as described.

5. A holder comprising a tank containing water or other sealing liquid, a bell working up and down therein, a tube contained in said tank projecting above the normal waterlevel, a delivery-pipe to said holder contained in the tube in said tank, having at its extremity a plurality of eXitprifices, a tube, as 6, attached to the bell which projects down into the tube in the tank and over the upper end portion of said delivery-pipe, having two plates at its lower end separated a short distance, both of which engage and slide along on said delivery-pipe, an opening in said tube 6 to the bell and a delivery-pipe leading from said holder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES WV. HINMAN. Witnesses:

B. J. NoYEs,

L. H. I'IARRIMAN. 

